Bedstead.



No. 859,911. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

K. D. BOWLING.

BEDSTEAD.

AP-PLIOATION FILED NOV. 28, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

n4: NORRIS Pzrtns (30., wAsHlNmN, v. c.

No. 859,911. PLTENTED JULY 16, 1907.

K. 1 BOWLING.

BEDSTEAD.

APPLIQATION FILED NOV. 26. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R: cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

NQRRIS P51:

. the foot board in an upright position.

KATHERINE D. BOWLING, OF BERWYN, MARYLAND.

BEDSTEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed November 28,1906. Serial No. 345,466.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that KATHERINE D. BOWLING, a citizenof the United States, residing at Berwyn, Maryland, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

In the treatment 0f many diseases particularly of women, it is extremely desirable to secure perfect access to the body without necessitating any considerable movement of the body, particularly in obstetrical cases, and, in the present invention I have aimed to produce a bed of simple construction, adapted to be used not only in hospitals but in private homes. To this end I have devised a construction which adds very little to the cost of production of the ordinary bed and yet fully and completely meets the requirements of the most difiicult case, saving the patient the pain of frequent movementand enabling access to be had to the body with the least amount of discomfort and effort on the part'of the patient.

In the drawing, I have illustrated my invention in connection with a simple form of bedstead, Figure 1 showing a side elevation of a bed with my improvements embodied; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 shows the bed in use, the, body of the patient being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is an end View; Fig. 5 a detail sectional view.

In carrying out my invention I may utilize any form of bedstead and indeed my improvements may be attached to the bedsteads in use without serious expense, though for all such purposes a metal bedstead is to be preferred, and particularly from a sanitary standpoint. The bedstead shown however, may stand for any ordinary or improved form.

My purpose is to provide for the sliding of the mattress with the patient thereon to the foot of the bed so as to obtain all the advantages of a regular operating table and yet in such a form as to make it possible to permit of the bedstead being used in any home by reason of the simple construction and the economical manufacture, for at present the expense of all special forms of beds for such purposes is practically prohibitive for people of ordinary means.

Supposing that a bedstead of ordinary form is used as shown in the drawing at A, I make the footboard B in two parts, the lower or leg part b to be stationary,

and of ordinary construction, while the upper part is pivoted to the lower part bya rod 0. This permits the footboard to be swung down into the position shown in Fig. 3. When in its upright position the footboard is supported by two latches d, one on each side, these latches being pivoted to the foot board at e and engaging a hook at f on the frame of the bed. Any other suitable means may be utilized to sustain It will thus be seen that. by simply pivoting the foot board B it may be swung downward out of the way sufficiently when it is necessary to gain access to the patient.

The mattress is divided partially as shown at g, the connection being unbroken at the bottom so as to permit the short end h of the mattress to be swung down when the mattress is drawn towards the end of the bed with the patient thereon, as shown in Fig. 3. To facilitate the movement of the mattress I provide straps i secured to the main body of the mattressand having hand holds overlapping the joint between the two parts of the mattress. In order to support the limbs of the patient I have provided two adjustable foot supports which ordinarily are folded back out of the way under the bed. These are shown in Fig. l and consist of a foot support 70 having sliding connection with the part m which in turn is pivoted to the under side of the bed at 11. When it is desired to bring the patient to the end of the bed for operation or examination the foot board of the bed is thrown down; the mattress is brought forward until the hinged section drops in position shown at Fig. 3, and the foot rests are swung out as shown in this figure, being adjusted to suit the position of the patient by reason of the sliding connection. The patients limbs are supported as shown in Fig. 3, while the body rests upon the mattress and every facility is afforded for examination or an operation without subjecting the body to undue strain or movement.

It will be observed that there is nothing to prevent the use of the bed in the ordinary way when it is not needed for surgical purposes. It is exceedingly simple in its arrangement and in its construction and equally simple in its manipulation.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a bedstead, a mattress supported thereby and having a hinged section, the said mattress being adapted to be moved horizontally upon the bedstead so as to permit of the hingedsection being swung downwardly, substantially as described.

2. A bedstead comprising a foot-board hinged so as to be swung, downwardly, a mattress having a pivoted section forming a practically unbroken continuation of the main section when in normal position, adapted also to be swung downwardly upon the foot-board and supports for the feet of the patient.

3. In combination with a bedstead having a movable foot board adapted to be swung downwardly, a mattress supported by the bedstead and having a hinged section, the said mattress being adapted to be moved horizontally upon the bedstead so as to permit of the hinged section being swung downwardly upon the foot board, substantially as described. 7

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KATHERINE DQBOIVLING.

Witnesses:

C. S. MIDDLETON, HENRY E. COOPER. 

